Obama exempts religious groups from contraception mandate

(RNS) Facing growing furor from religious groups, President Obama on Friday (Feb. 10) unveiled an “accommodation'' in which health insurance companies, rather than religious institutions, will provide employees with contraception coverage. The revised approach effectively removes all faith-based organizations — not just houses of worship but also hospitals and universities — from covering employees' contraception […]

David Gibson

David Gibson is a national reporter for RNS and an award-winning religion journalist, author and filmmaker. He has written several books on Catholic topics. His latest book is on biblical artifacts: "Finding Jesus: Faith. Fact. Forgery," which was also the basis of a popular CNN series.

1 Comment

Bart

I was sure there were at least two reader’s comments posted to this article. I imagine David doesn’t like Cathoic criticism. I’ll try this:

1) It’s the 21st century. Women use birth control, The church heirarchy whose entire relationship to sexual activity seems to be limited to masturbation, elicit gay sex, and pedophilia, have as much justification to intervene in a woman’s health and sexual conduct as a car mechanic or a plumber with similalrly stunted thinking.

If the Church insists on regulating sexual activity perhaps they should start by managing their own.

2) When Church organizations stop receiving Federal funds then they can claim exemption from Federal regulations related to the work place that offends their medieval sensibilities. When government interacts with religion then the rotten fruits of that “unholy” alliance bound to be distasteful to both the secular and sectarian participants. Jefferson is spinning in his grave that religious universities, charitrable organizations and hospitals are receiving tax payer funding while they promote their fable and refuse women the full spectrum of what medical science has to offer.